Your question would lead me to believe that you are interested in useing your current freshwater tackle in the light salt usage. I say generally yes. The exceptions are I doubt that drags are up to the long runs of bones or the stress that would be put on them by a bull red. To be safe you probably need well over 100yds of backing for bones though I have never been fortune enough to fish for them. IMHO for most intercoastal salt a cast reel will handle most of what you will ever throw at it. I believe the drag is far more important. ....No exposed rim reel will do well with rough handling and dropping. A machined reel may take a little more than a cast reel but I doubt that anybody that spends hundreds of dollars on a reel will abuse them either. I don't know if a draw-bar cork drag is available in a cast frame but I would consider purchasing a couple.